Clean grain and tailings conveying system for an agricultural combine

ABSTRACT

A clean grain and tailings conveying system for an agricultural combine, including a pan fixedly mounted beneath a lowermost sieve of a cleaning system. The pan includes a tailings receiving portion disposed below a peripheral edge portion of the sieve, for receiving tailings which fall downwardly from the edge portion during operation of the sieve, and a clean grain receiving portion disposed beneath the sieve for receiving clean grain which falls downwardly therethrough during the operation of the sieve. The pan includes at least one elongate collecting conveyor including a clean grain collecting portion which extends longitudinally through the clean grain receiving portion of the pan, and a tailings collecting portion which extends longitudinally through the tailings receiving portion, for separately receiving and collecting the clean grain and the tailings received by the pan, and conveying the clean grain and tailings to transfer conveyors that can also be part of the pan.

This divisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 fromU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/411,513 filed on Apr. 26, 2006, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,297,051 by James R. Schmidt et al. with the same title,the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to clean grain conveying and tailingsconveying in an agricultural combine, and more particularly, to a systemwhich utilizes a common drive and conveyor apparatus for conveying ofboth clean grain and tailings.

BACKGROUND ART

Agricultural combines typically have a rotary threshing or separatingsystem for separating grain from larger elements of harvested crops,such as straw, stalks and the like. The grain and smaller elements ofcrop material, which can include, for instance, pod or cob fragments,typically fall from the separating system directly onto a vibratorycleaning system disposed therebelow, or, onto one or more conveyors forconveyance to the cleaning system Reference Van Buskirk, U.S. Pat. No.3,537,460 issued to International Harvester Company; and also Hall etal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,994 issued to Deere and Company, both of whichillustrate well known internal combine conveyor systems.

The cleaning system typically includes sieves or shoes which arereciprocally moved, usually in the fore and aft directions, for cleaningor sifting the grain from tailings and material other than grain (MDG).Clean grain falling through the sieves drops onto one or more cleangrain pans disposed therebelow, which pan or pans are typically inclineddownwardly toward a sidewardly extending clean grain auger conveyor. Theclean grain auger conveyor receives the clean grain and delivers it toan elevator which carries the clean grain up to a clean grain tank.

During the vibration of the sieves, air is blown upwardly and rearwardlytherethrough, so as to carry lighter elements of the MDG, or chaff,away. Heavier elements and tailings too large to fall through the sievesand too heavy to be blown away are carried by the vibrations rearwardlyalong the surfaces of the sieves so as to fall over the rear edgesthereof, onto a tailings pan located below the rear edges. The tailingspan is located below the clean grain pan and is similarly inclineddownwardly and forwardly, and extends to a sidewardly extending tailingsauger conveyor, which carries the tailings to a tailings return conveyoroperable for carrying the tailings upwardly, back to the cleaning orseparating system of the combine, for reprocessing.

To facilitate material flow along the clean grain pan and the tailingspan, in some combine models, those pans are connected to at least one ofthe sieves, so as to be correspondingly vibrated therewith. A problemthat has arisen, however, with this arrangement, is that it is a burdenon the drive which vibrates this assembly, so as to cause premature wearand failure of the drive. This arrangement is also costly and complex.

Therefore, what is sought is a conveyor arrangement for clean grain andtailings handling in a combine, which overcomes one or more of theproblems set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is disclosed is a clean grain and tailings conveying system for anagricultural combine, which overcomes one or more of the problems setforth above.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, what is disclosed is aclean grain and tailings conveying system for an agricultural combine,which includes a pan adapted to be fixedly mounted to a combine beneatha lowermost sieve of a cleaning system thereof. The pan includes atailings receiving portion disposed below a peripheral edge portion ofthe sieve, for receiving tailings which fall downwardly from the edgeportion during operation of the sieve, and a clean grain receivingportion disposed beneath the sieve for receiving clean grain which fallsdownwardly therethrough during the operation of the sieve. The panincludes at least one elongate collecting trough including a clean graincollecting portion which extends longitudinally through the clean grainreceiving portion of the pan, and a tailings collecting portion whichextends longitudinally through the tailings receiving portion, forseparately receiving and collecting the clean grain and the tailingsreceived by the pan. The system additionally includes a clean graintransfer conveyor in connection with the clean grain collecting portionof the collecting trough, and a tailings transfer conveyor in connectionwith the tailings collecting portion of the collecting trough. Anelongate helical auger is supported in and extends longitudinallythrough the collecting trough, the auger being rotatable in apredetermined rotational direction about a longitudinally extendingrotational axis, for simultaneously and separately conveying clean graincontained in the clean grain collecting portion of the collecting troughto the clean grain transfer conveyor, and tailings contained in thetailings collecting portion of the collecting trough to the tailingstransfer conveyor.

As an advantage of the conveying system of the invention, the pan, aswell as the collecting conveyor and transfer conveyors, are supportedseparate of the cleaning system, and thus are not vibrated therewith,with the attendant disadvantages that can occur therefrom, as discussedabove. Additionally, the clean grain and tailings processed by theconveying system of the invention are positively moved or conveyed,instead of relying on the past practice of using vibration and gravityfor the movement thereof.

As another preferred aspect of the invention, a plurality of thecollecting troughs extend in side-by-side relation fore and aft alongthe pan, so as to effectively occupy substantially all of the areabeneath the lowermost sieve of the cleaning system. And, as anotherpreferred aspect of the invention, the clean grain transfer conveyor andthe tailings transfer conveyor are disposed below and extend across thecollecting troughs at spaced locations therealong. This enables theclean grain and tailings transfer conveyors to connect to a conventionalclean grain elevator and tailings processing system of a combine. Asstill another preferred aspect of the invention, the pan can be inclinedupwardly toward a location spaced beneath the peripheral edge portion ofthe sieve, so as to be capable of being accommodated in the lower regionof a conventionally constructed combine.

According to still another preferred aspect of the invention, the augerextending through the collecting trough includes a helical flightextending therearound in a first rotational direction and disposed inthe clean grain collecting portion of the collecting trough, and anotherhelical flight extending around the auger in a second rotationaldirection and disposed in the tailings collecting portion of thecollecting trough, such that when the auger is rotated, clean grain andtailings collected in the collecting trough will be conveyed in oppositedirections toward the clean grain transfer conveyor and the tailingstransfer conveyor, respectively. Further in this regard, additionalauger flights can be provide in the respective clean grain and tailingsportions, and directed in either rotational direction, as desired orrequired, for conveying clean grain and tailings to the transferconveyors, for a particular application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of an agricultural combine including aclean grain and tailings conveying system of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified side view of a structural frame of the combine ofFIG. 1, illustrating the conveying system of the invention, and mountingthereof in connection with the frame;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the conveying system of the invention;and

FIG. 4 is simplified schematic side view of elements of the conveyingsystem of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like parts,in FIG. 1, an agricultural combine 10 is shown, including a clean grainand tailings conveying system 12 constructed and operable according tothe teachings of the present invention.

Combine 10 is of conventional, well known construction, including afeeder house 14 on a front end thereof, to which is connectable a header(not shown), operable for severing a swath of crops from a field ascombine 10 is moved forwardly thereover, and conveying the severed cropsto feeder house 14. Feeder house 14 includes an internal conveyingsystem (not shown), for conveying the crops upwardly and rearwardly intothe body of combine 10, into an inlet of a separating or threshingsystem 16 of the combine. Threshing system 16 generally includes arotary rotor at least partially enclosed in a concave defining anarcuate space therebetween, and in which space the crop material isprocessed, for separating grain, and material other than grain (MDG),from straw, the straw being ejected rearwardly from the threshing systemthrough the rear end of the combine for deposition on the field, in thewell known manner. The grain and MDG will fall, and/or be conveyed, ontoan upper sieve 18 of a cleaning system 20 located within the body ofcombine 10, as denoted generally by arrows A, located below separatingsystem 16. Upper sieve 18 includes openings therethrough, which aresized for allowing the grain, and smaller elements of MDG, to falltherethrough onto a lower sieve 22 of cleaning system 20. Lower sieve 22will have smaller openings therethrough compared to upper sieve 18, suchthat the sieves 18 and 22 provide a progressive cleaning mechanism forseparating clean grain from the MDG. The clean grain which falls throughlower sieve 22 is desired to be collected and conveyed to a grain tank24.

To facilitate the flow of the clean grain through sieves 18 and 22, thesieves are vibrated or reciprocally moved, typically in a fore and aftdirection, as denoted by arrow B. At the same time, air from a fan 26 isblown upwardly and rearwardly through sieves 18 and 22. The combinationof this air flow and vibratory movement, results in the smaller grainbeing sifted through the sieves 18 and 22, whereas lighter elements ofthe MDG, referred to also as chaff, are blown upwardly and rearwardlyaway from sieves 18 and 22. This chaff is either blown into an optionalchaff spreader (not shown), which is operable for distributing the chaffover a desired swath of the field from which the crop is cut; or it isdirected into an optional chopper (also not shown), for mixing withstraw for chopping and distribution thereby; or it is directeddownwardly onto the field through a rear opening of the combine, all inthe well known manner. Larger elements of MDG which are unable to passthrough upper sieve 18 are moved to the rear peripheral edge portionthereof by the vibratory movements thereof, and will fall therefrom,either onto the field therebelow, or chopped and/or spread. Typically,the sieves are adjusted, such that smaller elements of MDG, also referred to as tailings, which are still likely to contain grain, areallowed to pass through the upper sieve 18, but not lower sieve 22. Onsieve 22, the tailings are moved by the vibratory movements toward arear peripheral edge portion 28 of sieve 22, and fall thereover.

Referring also to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, clean grain and tailings conveyingsystem 12 of the invention is shown in association with various aspectsof threshing system 16 and cleaning system 20. More particularlyreferring to FIG. 2, sieves 18 and 22 are illustrated as being suspendedfrom a structural frame 30 of combine 10 by pivoting support arms 32 and34, respectively, for the reciprocal fore and aft movement, as denotedby arrow B, as effected by a suitable drive mechanism (not shown), inthe well known manner. Clean grain and tailings conveying system 12, incontrast, is illustrated as being fixedly connected or mounted tostructural frame 30, below lower sieve 22, by brackets 36 and 38, so asto be immovable relative to structural frame 30. This is advantageous,as it eliminates the additional loading on cleaning system 20, includingon support arms 32 and 34 and the drive mechanism therefor, which, aspointed out above, has been found to be a problem.

FIGS. 3 and 4 best illustrate the construction and operation of cleangrain and tailings conveying system 12 of the invention. Conveyingsystem 12 generally includes a pan 40 which is fixedly mounted tostructural frame 30 by brackets 36 and 38, so as to be located directlybeneath lower sieve 22 of cleaning system 20, including beneathperipheral edge portion 28 of lower sieve 22 (FIG. 2). Pan 40 preferablyincludes a plurality or array of side-by-side elongate collectingtroughs 42, extending across the width of pan 40, between opposite sideedges 44 and 46 thereof, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. Collectingtroughs 42 preferably extend in the fore and aft direction, between aforward edge 48 of pan 40, and a rear edge 50. Each collecting trough 42has a clean grain receiving portion 52, located beneath those regions oflower sieve 22 through which clean grain is expected to fall, and atailings receiving portion 54, positioned directly beneath peripheraledge portion 28 of lower sieve 22 (FIG. 2). As best shown in FIG. 4,clean grain receiving portion 52 has an overall fore and aft extent,denoted by arrow D, and tailings receiving portion 54 has an overallfore and aft extent denoted by arrow E. The extent of clean grainreceiving portion 52 is further subdivided into a forward clean grainreceiving region, generally having a fore and aft extent denoted D1, anda rear clean grain receiving region, having an extent D2.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 4, in operation, as grain and MDG isflowing downwardly from threshing system 16 onto upper sieve 18, denotedby arrows A, that sieve, and lower sieve 22, are being reciprocallymoved, as denoted by arrow B. Simultaneously, fan 26 is operated togenerate upward and rearward air flows, denoted by arrows C, which blowthrough the openings through sieves 18 and 22, to carry chaffrearwardly, away from cleaning system 20, as denoted by arrow F. At thesame time, tailings are allowed to pass through the openings of uppersieve 18, but not those of lower sieve 22. The tailings are moved byvibration rearwardly along the surface of lower sieve 22, until theyreach peripheral edge portion 28, which is the rear edge of sieve 22,where they fall therefrom, as denoted by arrow G. The tailings, denotedby arrow G, will fall onto tailings receiving portion 54 of pan 40,which is located directly below edge portion 28. Clean grain will beallowed to pass through lower sieve 22, as denoted by arrows H, so as tofall onto clean grain receiving portion 52 of pan 40. Some of the cleangrain will typically fall onto clean grain receiving portion 52 in theforward region D1, and some will fall in the rear region D2. Here, itshould be noted that a deflector shield 56 is disposed beneath the rearend portion of sieve 22, to deflect clean grain which falls therethroughforwardly, so as to fall onto clean grain receiving portion 52 of pan40, as opposed to tailings receiving portion 54 located below the rearend.

Pan 40 additionally preferably forms and includes a clean grain transferconveyor trough 58 disposed below and in connection with clean grainreceiving portion 52, and a tailings transfer conveyor trough 60disposed below and in connection with tailings receiving portion 54. Anelongate, helical auger 62 is supported in each collecting trough 42, soas to extend longitudinally in the fore and aft direction therealong,continuously through both the clean grain receiving portion 52 and thetailings receiving portion 54. Each auger 62 includes a first helicalauger flight 64 extending in a first predetermined direction therearoundthrough the forward clean grain receiving portion D1 of pan 42; and asecond helical auger flight 66 extending in a second rotationaldirection therearound, opposite the first rotational direction, throughthe region D2, and through the tailings receiving portion 54. Each auger62 is connected to a drive mechanism operable for rotating it, here themechanism being illustrated as including a bevel gear 70 on the rear endof auger 62, which gear is enmeshed with a bevel gear 72 on a driveshaft 74 which extends sidewardly across the rear end of pan 40, so asto jointly rotate augers 62. Drive shaft 74 can be rotated by anysuitable drive, such as, but not limited to, a belt, chain or shaft, inconnection with a power plant of combine 10 (not shown).

When augers 62 are rotated in a predetermined rotational direction,flights 64, 66 and 68 will convey clean grain and tailings separatelyand simultaneously along collecting troughs 42, and into clean graintransfer conveyor trough 58, and tailings transfer conveyor trough 60,as illustrated by arrows J and K, respectively. Clean grain transferconveyor trough 58 contains a helical auger 76, and tailings transferconveyor trough 60 contains an auger 78, which augers are rotatable inthe conventional manner using suitable drives (not shown) for conveyingthe clean grain and tailings to a clean grain elevator (not shown) and atailings return system (also not shown), as illustrated by arrows L andM in FIG. 3, in the well known manner.

As a result of the clean grain and tailings conveying system of theinvention as represented by the embodiment 12, stresses on the supportstructure for the cleaning system and on the cleaning system itself, canbe significantly reduced. And, clean grain and tailings generated by acleaning system can be more positively distributed, respectively, to theclean grain tank and tailings return system, or other locations,efficiently, and effectively, which may provide increased throughputrates compared to use of gravity and vibration alone.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainpreferred embodiments, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognizethat additions, deletions, substitutions, modifications and improvementscan be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as defined by the appended claims.

1. An agricultural combine, comprising: a separating system including arotor and a concave; a cleaning system including at least one sievedisposed below the separating system for receiving a flow of cropmaterial therefrom, and a fan operable for generating a flow of airupwardly through the sieve for carrying elements of chaff upwardly awayfrom the sieve, the sieve being configured for allowing downward passageof clean grain of the crop material therethrough, and the sieveincluding a peripheral edge portion over which tailings can fall; and aconveying system disposed below the sieve and configured for separatelyreceiving clean grain which passes downwardly therethrough and tailingswhich fall over the peripheral edge thereof, and jointly but separatelyconveying the clean grain and the tailings to a clean grain transferconveyor, and a tailings transfer conveyor, respectively, wherein theconveying system includes a plurality of troughs containing helicalaugers disposed above and in connection with the clean rain transferconveyor and the tailings transfer conveyor, the augers being operablefor simultaneously conveying clean grain and tailings separately alongthe troughs into the clean grain and tailings transfer conveyors,respectively.
 2. The combine of claim 1, wherein the conveying systemincludes a plurality of collecting troughs extending in side by siderelation below the sieve.
 3. The combine of claim 1, wherein each of theaugers includes a helical flight extending therearound in a firstrotational direction, and a helical flight extending therearound in asecond rotational direction, such that when the auger is rotated, cleangrain and tailings will be conveyed in opposite directions.
 4. Thecombine of claim 3, wherein the auger includes a helical flightextending therearound in the second rotational direction and disposedfor conveying clean grain along the auger in the same direction as thetailings.
 5. An agricultural combine, comprising: separating systemincluding a rotor and a concave; a cleaning system including at leastone sieve disposed below the separating system for receiving a flow ofcrop material therefrom, and a fan operable for generating a flow of airupwardly through the sieve for carrying elements of chaff upwardly awayfrom the sieve, the sieve being configured for allowing downward passageof clean grain of the crop material therethrough, and the sieveincluding a peripheral edge portion over which tailings can fall; and aconveying system including a plurality of auger conveyors disposed belowthe sieve and configured for separately receiving clean grain whichpasses downwardly through the sieve and tailings which fall over theperipheral edge thereof, and jointly but separately conveying the cleangrain and the tailings to a clean grain transfer conveyor, and atailings transfer conveyor, respectively.
 6. The combine of claim 5,wherein the auger conveyors are disposed above and in connection withthe clean grain transfer conveyor and the tailings transfer conveyor,respectively.
 7. The combine of claim 5, wherein each of the augerconveyors includes an auger having a helical flight extendingtherearound in a first rotational direction, and a helical flightextending therearound in a second rotational direction, such that whenthe auger is rotated, clean grain and tailings will be conveyed inopposite directions.
 8. The combine of claim 7, wherein the augerincludes a helical flight extending therearound in the second rotationaldirection and disposed for conveying clean grain along the auger in thesame direction as the tailings.